From TM-EX Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 4, Summer, 1992
INDIA
A Visit to the Shankaracharya, Part III
[Editor's Note: The following transcript is taken directly from the
taped conversations between Robert Kropinski, a former TM teacher
and follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and Shree Shankaracharya Swaroopanand
Saraswati, a pre-eminent disciple of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru
Dev), who is considered Mahesh Yogi's Spiritual Master.]
Q: So, in other words, explain to Shankaracharya, that what he (Mahesh)
gives is, for example, my mantra was aing, and I paid $400 and I received
the word ``aing.'' So, mentally, I closed my eyes with aing, using
that mantra, repeating it mentally, passively. In other words, passively,
just saying it, repeating it like that. Mahesh claims these mantras
came from Shankaracharya.
Shankaracharya: Shankaracharya (Guru Dev), whose disciple he (Mahesh)
calls himself, I was also his disciple, Brahmand Saraswati's (Guru
Dev). He (Brahmand Saraswati) was my Guru. He would not accept any
offerings from his disciples.
Disciple should be such that he gives to his Guru everything. Then
nothing belongs to the disciple, everything is Guru's. Guru should
be such that he does not take anything from the disciple. He thinks
only good of his disciple.
Q: Lord, we have heard that Mahesh Yogi instructs mantras himself,
and some people believe him as their Guru. He is a kaaystha by birth
(lower caste). Do you think it is appropriate for him to instruct
like this?
Shankaracharya: My first information was that he used to place a picture
of Guru Dev and had people worship the picture, and then he would
give out the mantras. I have met many persons who, in reality, had
their mantras from Mahesh, but they consider themselves to be disciples
of Brahmaliin Jagadguru Shankaracharya (Guru Dev). But, no matter
whom they consider their teacher, the fact of the matter is that a
person who gives a mantra is to be considered the real Guru. If Mahesh
thinks that he is backed by Shankaracharya, then what is proper on
his part is to tell people to take initiation from Shankaracharya.
Q: Brahmananda Saraswati did not charge any fees when he used to initiate?
Shankaracharya: This is a principle. A quotation from Goswami Tulsidas:
``The guru who charges or takes money from his disciples in return
for initiation, steals disciples property and goes to damnable hell.''
For that reason Guru Deva used to give `upadesha' (initiation) without
any fees. He used to say ``If I accept any gift from the disciple
(or fees), then his sins are transmitted to me.'' In India, dharma,
yoga, knowledge, specialized knowledge can never be sold for money.
That is priceless. Anyone who puts a price on it insults it. So, a
mantra is also never given for money. Knowledge cannot be sold for
money. Therefore, the process that is being employed by Mahesh is
merely for the sake of making money, and this is entirely against
the canons of Indian culture and civilization.
Where money is involved that becomes a business.
I am telling you what is good for you without any vested interest.
This is the rule followed here. We do not have a class of people as
he (Mahesh) has created there...You don't need a class for giving
a mantra.
Ashtanga Yoga--Yama, niyam, aasan, praanayaam, pratyaahaar, dhaarnaa,
dhyaan, samaadhi, theses are the eight limbs of yoga. A Guru takes
a disciple into these one by one. In return, the Guru does not accept
anything from his disciple. He does it out of kindness and out of
a feeling for doing good to his disciple.
The second thing is, when one practices yoga, then he attains sidhis
(supernatural powers). But, these powers are of no use. One who is
asking for a price for a mantra, it shows, he did not have anything
to give out to anyone else.
Q: My Lord, it is reported that he (Mahesh) is giving ``Sidhi initiation''
and is charging a minimum of RS 20,000 ($10,000 US approx.) for what
he teaches. His Sidhi mantras are Sanskrit verses of the Yoga Sutras
and he has promised Sidhis (supernatural powers) as an achievement
of the practice. To me it looks like cheating, what is your opinion?
Shankaracharya: So far as `Yoga Darshan' (the Yoga Sutras of Maharishi
Patanjali) is concerned, the first step of the `Yoga Darshan' is `Chitta
vritti nirodaha' or control of the fluctuations of the mind. Achievement
of Yoga practice is the state of `Samadhi' and `Samadhi' is the goal
of the practice. When the Sadhaka (practitioner) reaches the state
of `Samadhi' then he may attain some Sidhis like travelling through
space, seeing distant objects, etc. But these are obstacles and one
should not be attached to these Sidhis, for they do positive disservice
to the Sadhakas and their use can cause reversal of spiritual achievement.
These Sidhis come of their own accord, naturally to anyone engaged
in meditation. But, if the goal is to obtain and use Sidhis then it
is a perversion. These are obstacles in the way of samadhi and one
should not have any sense of attachment with them, otherwise something
undesirable may happen. Any attachment with them is not expected of
any yogi.
Who disciplines himself and concentrates (dharana) on `Surya'--``Surya
Sanyama Bhubana Jnanam,'' meaning who disciplines or contemplates
on Surya, he attains the knowledge of the universe. To get this knowledge
one has to concentrate on `Surya.' But, prior to that stage of dharan
(one pointed concentration) `pratyahar' is necessary. Pratyahar, realization
of Divine Truth in perfect form at all times, is necessary. That stage
comes after yama, niyama, asana, and aprnayama. All these stages mean
complete discipline of body, mind and emotions with no attachment
or aversion of any kind in the world.
Whoever goes in straightaway for meditation for a little while without
these preceding stages, cannot get `pratyahar' which is an abstraction
of worldly enjoyment and he cannot come to the stage of `dharan' (one
pointed concentration). And one who cannot concentrate of discipline
himself, how can he attain Sidhis (supernormal powers)? so all these
talks are just cheating and an Indian yogi should not do that. This
will tarnish India's image.
What Mahesh Yogi need is to show others how to fly. He should fly
in the sky in front of everybody. It would be nice if he once flies
from America to India without any airplane. Then perhaps what he says
can be accepted. Otherwise, he will be like those who entrap people
in their net of forgery.''~
Robert Kropinski
----TO BE CONTINUED -----